


Frustration, Sexual or Otherwise

by Sharyrazade



Category: Tales of Berseria, Tales of Series
Genre: Begging, Bisexual Female Character(s), Cunnilingus, Denial, Dubious Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Femdom, Gay Panic, Hair-pulling, Hate Sex, Interracial Relationship, Large Breasts, Light Bondage, Mommy Kink, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Groping, Non-Consensual Spanking, Older Woman/Younger Woman, Porn With Plot, Pre-Canon, Rough Sex, Sensory Deprivation, Sex Toys Under Clothing, Shameless Smut, Strap-Ons, Totally not a self-insert, Vaginal Fingering, Velvet in Denial, What Have I Done, sub!Velvet, what am I doing with my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 17:25:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11514015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharyrazade/pseuds/Sharyrazade
Summary: "What the fuck?! Fuck you, you disgusting bitch!" she snarled. "I could tear you apart with my bare hands!"The older woman simply smirked at the vitriol thrown her way. "I could say the same, sweetie. But my research is in the senses and I thought this could be an absolutely lovely test."





	Frustration, Sexual or Otherwise

**Author's Note:**

> Oneshot based on the lust-hate relationship of mine with a certain Tales protagonist.  
> FFS, talk about something else besides how edgy you are! I mean, you had other characters like Raven or Daddy Kratos who had just as, if not more horrible shit happen to them, but they just weren't as much as well...a drag to be around as Velvet was. Hell, even Ludgs/Victor were far less-draining for me. Zelos could count too, but he's exhausting to be around for an entirely different reason.

Days, weeks, months, possibly even years, it scarcely mattered to her any longer. Ever since that fateful night, all time, particularly in that rathole of a prison island known as Titania, seemed to blur together for Velvet, her rage and pain the only things keeping her relatively sane and tied to this world. Even the blindfolds insisted upon by her captors on occasion had precious little difference given the impenetrable blackness of her abode. No, Velvet only required her hearing to discern the telltale _clack clack clack_ of the heels indicative of the imminent arrival of the one individual in the Abbey who could even approach the level of contempt Velvet had for her superior; the only personnel even allowed in this area were high-ranking exorcists.

_"-it's exactly like I was saying about Oscar and Teresa,"_ gossiped a deep, husky voice over the clanging of the ancient prison mechanisms. _"they're so transparent and natural about it that you don't even notice after the initial shock."_

_"Oh, no I agree wholeheartedly, milady."_ answered the subordinate exorcist. _"I truly hate seeing you go down there alone with that monster, Lady Soraya. Are you absolutely sure-"_

_"I'm a big girl who can look after herself. No need to worry."_

 

One of the figures quite audibly descending the ladder, literally the only way out of the structure short of shattering the floor or ceiling, as the clacking against the hard floor resumed, then momentarily stopped, the distinct, irritatingly fresh, minty scent of some perfume or soap or another assaulted her nostrils, Velvet, as clearly as the day she had arrived on the island, had the image of the woman refreshed in her mind; from her distant brown eyes covered by spectacles, to her oily raven hair curled up into a bun, to her brown skin contrasted against the sickeningly-white exorcist's uniform that hugged her frame somewhat more tightly than usual.

"And how are we today, Miss Crowe?" asked the exorcist, knowing the answer fully well, Velvet imagining a smug smirk on her face. "Enjoying yourself?"

Soraya did not even flinch, let alone reach for the small axe on her belt at the younger woman reflexively bringing her arm forward to rend and tear, the limb and girl both impeded heavily by some of the strongest chains in the world. "Why must we always go through this, Velvet dear?" she asked facetiously, gently gripping Velvet's chin in her first three fingers. "I've always been nothing but professional, so I fail to see a problem."

Already well aware of the sheer hatred her charge was expressing even without her eyes visible, the older woman bobbed her head slightly to the right, the spit Velvet directed at her face landing harmlessly on her shoulder. "You've always been and are a cunt to me is more like it." Velvet snarled. "Exactly how many times did Artorius make you fuck him for your job anyway?"

At this insinuation, the exorcist was less-than-amused. "Were you always this much of a rude, nasty little bitch or did you have to take lessons?" Soraya asked dangerously. "Unlike you and your dumb luck, I actually reached my position on skill and having it recognized by the right people."

 

Turning away from Velvet, Soraya took a few tentative steps to the other end of the dungeon, slipping the constricting footwear from her feet. "Besides, Sir Artorius isn't really my type anyway." she quipped. "In fact, very few men are actually capable of capturing my attention."

Velvet continued to lay the bravado on. "So what, you're a dyke or something?" she spat. "You prefer that stuck-up ice queen, you two passing your virgin trainees around, huh? You're fucking sick, you know that?"

While of course not visible to her captor, the younger woman's eyes widened briefly as she detected some fabric or another impacting against the floor. "Hm, you mean Lady Teresa?" Soraya inquired, innocently as the situation would allow. "Sure, we'll fuck every now and again; mainly just to blow off some steam. Of course, I could never come close to being her beloved, nor do I have any interest in so doing. I'm no homewrecker, after all."

 

Velvet had only encountered her in passing over a year and a half and had never seen or heard any indication one way or another, but the exorcist was apparently far lighter and quicker on her feet than she was given credit for, as Velvet distinctly noticed the woman's voice behind her. "However, I've been very interested to meet you, Miss Velvet." she whispered, a tad too intimately for the younger woman's taste.

"What the-"

Interrupting Velvet were a pair of smooth, well-kept hands (obviously belonging to the older woman) tentatively working their way across their way her torso, finally, almost mercifully, slowly groping her breasts, Soraya accompanying her ministrations with a number of teasing, biting kisses along the nape of her neck. "Such a gorgeous body." teased the exorcist sincerely, quite consciously giving the nipple at her mercy an abrupt pinch. "That pale skin, that raven hair, these tits? It's just a crying shame about that attitude."

Understandably feeling outraged and violated, Velvet reflexively clenched her teeth and knees together, not pleased with the turn her night had taken. "What the fuck?! Fuck you, you disgusting bitch!" she snarled. "I could tear you apart with my bare hands!"

The older woman simply smirked at the vitriol thrown her way. "I could say the same, sweetie. But my research is in the senses and I thought this could be an absolutely _lovely_ test."

"Love?! What's that got to do with anything?!"

Soraya's eyes narrowed into slits, her smirk deepening. "Nothing, Miss Velvet. In fact, it's exactly the opposite; within a few minutes, I bet that I'll have you just _begging_ for me to touch you."

In contrast to the older woman's very deliberate, methodical teasing, Velvet abruptly raised up her right leg, bringing down her foot with all her strength onto Soraya's foot. "Ha! In your dreams, bitch!"

 

For Soraya, being an exceptionally-tough woman, this "attack" was nothing more than a nuisance. However, seeing as her own foot was separated from Velvet's heel by sheer pantyhose alone and the younger woman's challenge making her "game" far from over, required her to leave her prey be for the time being. "Alright, perhaps I was a bit forward." she conceded. "But I've still been trying to remain polite with you. Fine, I see how it is."

The pattering of her feet still lightly audible, Velvet's heart leapt once more as she noticed her enemy behind her, Soraya suddenly jabbing a syringe into her neck. "What the fuck did you do?!" she demanded.

"Tch, such language!" scolded the exorcist, not unlike some sort of twisted schoolmarm. "It's just a little sedative; all exorcists over a certain rank receive training under its influence."

"What, you're trying to put me to sleep THEN fuck me? That doesn't sound like much fun to me, you stupid monkey."

Soraya managed a slight scowl at the slur. "Not put all of you to sleep, _per se_." 

 

Her internal clock had been distorted quite a bit by the captivity, but it took Velvet very little time to notice much of the energy leaving her, her limbs shortly feeling as if weighed down by anchors, the young woman struggled mightily even to lift a finger, let alone her bound left arm to attack her captor, deciding quickly it not worth the effort before slumping to her knees. To Velvet's astonished rage at this apparent mockery, she felt the iron shackle on her arm give way. While her limbs may have felt heavier than the prison itself, from the neck up, she was still quite energetic. "What the fuck did you do?!" she demanded once more.

Soraya shook her head in disapproval. "You really are a spoiled child, Miss Crowe." she scolded. "Have you any other way to express your displeasure outside of vulgarities? At the very least, change them up a bit."

"Ha! If I'm a child to you, don't you think you should be careful not to throw your back out, granny?"

Fumbling once more with some implement or another, the exorcist tapped her heel against the floor impatiently. "Does twenty-four sound exactly 'old' to you, my dear? I am what I am and I personally don't care about my age or whether or not its remarked upon, but it is considered very rude to talk about a lady's age, especially to her face. I think you really _do_ need to be disciplined."

 

At that moment, Velvet could admit to herself that she'd been underestimating the exorcist's physical strength considerably, seeing as she'd bought Velvet to her feet quite roughly with what seemed like nothing more than a light tap. Being jerked forward and having her navel colliding with the older woman's knee, Velvet's first instinct was to assume she'd been kneed in the stomach before being absolutely mortified to find her backside exposed to the frigid maritime air, the exorcist running an admiring hand over her buttocks. "How many times was that you cursed at me? Ten?"

Whether due to the adrenaline created by the situation and her sheer rage or something else, Velvet became slightly flushed. "What the-"

It was no surprise to learn that Soraya was quite physically strong, but the sheer forcefulness and abruptness of the sharp slap administered to her rear saw the younger woman gasp in shock and horror. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Soraya's hand impacted against her once more, Velvet's gasp this time more of a whine to her horror. "What did you really expect, girl? Your parents never disciplined you? One smack for each time you swore at me, that's more than fair, no?"

"You really are a fucking disgusting cunt!"

 

Two more smacks, this time coming in fairly quick succession, left the corners of Velvet's eyes watering. "My tasks here are otherwise finished, so I can 'play' with you all night if I so choose." the exorcist informed dangerously. "But this can end so much more quickly should you cooperate by counting off the blows."

Every instinct Velvet had was one of outrage, telling her that she should be feeling humiliated and outraged, ready and willing to tear her captor limb from limb for her treachery. Every one of her instincts- save one; through the haze of belligerence and denial, the younger woman was appalled to find herself more than a little... _intrigued_ by the proposition, the drug and her own body conspiring against her to preclude any and all release. "Fine, let's get it over with." she remarked through gritted teeth, desperate not to give the exorcist the satisfaction by verbalizing any arousal.

Soraya gave that same smug, lusty smirk. "I knew you'd see it my way."

 

Perhaps intentionally, the exorcist's hand drifted a bit too low, as if to tease Velvet further before finally impacting against her once more. "One." she squeaked, her teeth still gritted.

_-Smack!_ "Two..."

- _Smack!_ "Three..."

- _Smack!_ "Four..."

- _Smack!_ "Five..."

_-Smack!_ "Six!"

 

_Fuck, fuck fuck, fuck, fuuuuck_ thought Velvet anxiously. She couldn't really be getting turned on by this, could she? On general principle, she absolutely abhorred giving anyone power over her in any way shape or form, especially a sick, insufferable cunt like her! Velvet could have retained some dignity and self-respect were her eyes alone watering, but as Soraya's hand impacted against her ass once more, she was even more mortified to notice something running down her inner thigh, silently praying the exorcist would not notice, but this was not to be.

"Oh my, perhaps you're enjoying this a bit more than you'll admit?" remarked the older woman mockingly, drawing teasing circles around her entrance. "And you have the nerve to impugn MY character? You're not even wearing underwear, you masochistic little slut!"

By nature, Velvet was not one to let a (even a largely-true) challenge go unanswered, but even this combativeness was overridden by her increasingly-fraying resolve not to give in to Soraya. After what seemed like ages of teasing, the exorcist abruptly slid her right index and middle fingers inside of her, fucking the younger woman with all the gentleness of a pair of pistons at work. " _Fuck!"_ she thought once more, literally biting her lip not to give Soraya the satisfaction. She was not kidding about having practiced this quite a bit. This felt _so much_ better than doing it herself, like night and day! While not alone, this could scarcely compare with her only other experience.

"Oh, fuck! LAPHI!" she cried out at last, bucking her hips against Soraya's hand "Oh, fuck!"

While of course unable to confirm it, Velvet could almost immediately feel those piercing brown eyes narrowing into slits, that smug gaze upon her once more. "My word, you're an even naughtier little girl than I'd thought!" remarked Soraya, well-aware of her test subject's life story. "You really _do_ need to be punished, don't you?"

"Hah...hah...fuck you...Get your filthy...hands off me..."

 

Velvet scarcely had the energy or willpower to give verbal riposte as the older woman briefly (too briefly) fingered her once again as her captor let her fall to the floor, in no small part because she knew the exorcist's taunts about her ecstatic cries to be the truth; While a prodigy in most fields, biology one of them, Laphicet had still been a growing boy, curious about girls and their bodies. Of course she knew it was wrong! However, as is often the case with these matters, one thing had led to another and-

"I'm gonna kill you." Velvet threatened tiredly, turning her head to face the older woman. "The first thing I do when I get out of here....I'll kill your boss...and you."

"Well, you wouldn't be the first girl I've fucked to tell me those exact words." Soraya half-taunted. "But I don't think you're going to want to kill me."

"Why the fuck not?"

"You'll see."

 

Instinctively, Velvet disliked the sound of this a great deal. The truth of the matter however, was somehow more ambiguous: After another minute or so of catching her breath, the young woman, still under the influence of the sedative, felt that very particular warmth returning to her. For several seconds, the stimulation was more an irritant, particularly since she had came as hard as she had earlier. After another ten or so seconds, it became absolutely torturous, Velvet clenching her thighs, literally writhing on the floor, desperate for any sort of release.

"What did you do now, you sick cunt?!" she demanded, every ounce of willpower she had dedicated to not collapsing into a moaning mess.

Soraya chuckled coldly. "It's just one of my 'toys' that I thought you'd enjoy. And I can make you stop having such a good time too."

With these words, the torturous, yet immensely titillating sensation ceased, exactly as if it were under the exorcist's direct control. With just as little warning, Soraya switched the toy to its highest setting, eliciting a series of undisguised shrieks of ecstasy for several seconds before switching it to a significantly lower, teasing intensity. "See?" inquired the older woman sweetly. "See how much fun we're having, my little bitch-in-heat? All you have to do is ask me nicely and I'll show you a world your beloved little Laphicet couldn't have ever even imagined."

"Ngh..." Velvet squealed, clenching her knees together for dear life. "Fuck you again..."

 

Soraya changing the device's intensity once more to one of the higher settings, as she bit her lip almost to the point of drawing blood, Velvet, with what mental power she could muster, debated her options. Already immensely proud and loathe to show any weakness or submissiveness to anyone, let alone someone as grating as the exorcist before her, but the drug had, after all, more or less removed any possibility of taking care of herself for the next couple of hours at the very least....

"Just fuck me and get it over with." she growled, struggling to her knees. "Do whatever it is you're going to do."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" the exorcist asked, feigning gentleness as she switched the toy to its lowest possible power level.

"Fuck me. Please."

Velvet bucked back her hips in pleasure as her tormentor abruptly switched the device to the highest possible level. "GAH! PLEASE! Fuck me, mommy!"

 

With that one slip of the tongue, Velvet knew she'd given up any sort of initiative, let alone control of the situation- yet apart from that inherent contrarian streak, she was beyond really caring. That mildly-domineering tone dripping with faux-sweetness, that intoxicating sensation she got from struggling (and failing) to remain outside Soraya's control, the warm comfort of the older woman's bust against her back; all were somehow and inexplicably nostalgic for Velvet, to say nothing of being Inexplicably arousing for her as well.

Also as inexplicably, she felt the exorcist's presence very imminently. To her shock, Soraya actually removed the blindfold; the older woman towering over Velvet, wearing only her spectacles, black undergarments and an oddly-benevolent expression her captive could not quite place. "I was being sincere before." began Soraya, pulling Velvet forward by the chin for a kiss. "You really ARE beautiful, you know that? Well, your body and face outside of your mouth, anyway."

"What the fuck?-" answered the younger woman, somewhat less combatively. "What's with this sappiness? You going to let me cum again or what?"

"What can I say? I'm sentimental like that. Besides, I've got a far more productive use for that mouth of yours."

Taking a couple of steps back to what Velvet now recognized as a folding chair, Soraya lounged atop the piece of portable furniture, gracefully sliding the boyshorts from her right leg. "It's a bit of an acquired taste," she remarked with a smirk. "But I'm sure a girl like you will just be a wonderful student. You're going to do something for me and you get to cum as much as you damn well please. I think that's more than fair, don't you?"

_No, no, no, no, no, FUCK NO!_ Velvet thought to herself. _Absolutely disgusting!_ And what did she mean by 'a girl like you?' she wondered outragedly. _What kind of sick fuck does she take me for?!_

Then again, Velvet could not help but notice; Soraya was not exactly a woman who failed to take care of herself down there, trimmed not unlike her orderly, clean-cut personality. While a little on the strong side, true, as Velvet hesitantly inched towards the older woman's sex, she wouldn't describe the scent as at all unpleasant. _Well, it's not like it will kill me,_ she told herself, tentatively extending a curious tongue. As her tonguework became less tentative and more exploratory, Velvet chafed inwardly, unsure whether or not she was flushed from arousal or embarrassment. Soraya was right; she _did_ have a natural knack for this after all, her own body, the drug once again, along with Soraya's toy all conspiring to drive her even further to the edge at her captor's orgasmic shudder. "Haaa....told you you were a natural." the exorcist sighed, still smirking at the defiance in the younger woman's eyes. "What was it you were taught about talking with your mouth full, hm?"

Her "mommy" abruptly rising from the chair to Velvet's mild disappointment, Soraya replaced the blindfold, cupping Velvet's cheek with an inexplicable affection, as if she were more lover than semi-anonymous sexual conquest. "Well, a deal is a deal after all." she said fondly, bringing the younger woman upright to her still-weakened legs.

"W-what the fuck are you doing?" she repeated, audibly weaker than earlier as the exorcist replaced the chain on her left wrist and relieved her of her tattered clothing.

"Don't worry, it's not anything you won't enjoy."

 

Soraya abruptly falling silent save for the pattering of her bare feet against the stone, Velvet was once again made very aware of the whirring and buzzing of the device inside of her. _Come on, you sick, twisted cunt,_ she thought. _Are you going to fuck me or not?!_

As if telepathy were spontaneously among her talents, Velvet felt the woman's hand tracing circles on her ass once again, briefly slipping a solitary finger between her folds. "No need to worry, sweetie," she said in that same sickly-sweet tone. "because I'm about to fuck you into a panting, red mess."

Given no such courtesy to do so of her own will, Velvet felt a hand against her upper back pushing forward, stabilizing herself reflexively with both hands against the wall. She had no visual conformation of it obviously, but feeling that very particular vulnerability of having one's legs spread told her more than enough. "I think you'll really like this one of my toys." said Soraya, her tone low and dangerous.

And the younger woman was in little position to disagree, from what she could tell, the exorcist had now proceeded torment her with some plastic-like implement, teasingly probing her entrance. This lasted all of a few seconds as Soraya abruptly thrust the device inside of her, Velvet yelping in surprise and more than a bit of pain juxtaposed against the waves of pleasure. "GAAAH! Fuck!" she cried, able to feel both the ribbed toy and the sheer force the other woman was putting into its use.

Whenever Velvet expected her tormentor to settle down into a particular rhythm or slow down a bit, Soraya not merely changing angles, but often punctuating every several thrusts with another, even stronger slap to her backside or harshly tweaking one of her nipples. "You like that, bitch?" growled the exorcist, grabbing a fistful of that raven hair she'd so admired and pulling back, clearly intent on paying back the earlier aggression against her. "Rude, insufferable little cunt?!"

"Oh, fuck yes, mommy!" whined Velvet, well-aware the exorcist was getting off more from the banter and simply not caring. "Please fuck me harder!"

"And who's mommy's lewd little slut?! Who gets wet off of being punished like she deserves?!"

"I AM!"

 

True to her promise, the older woman did in fact, fuck Velvet into a panting, orgasmic mess; As Soraya let her free and allowed her to slump against the wall momentarily, Velvet, as she at last settled her naked body against the cold floor, for that moment in time, scarcely minded her current supine, debauched condition. Perhaps it was simply due to the afterglow of the orgasms the exorcist had treated her to, but now that she thought about it a bit, she actually was beginning to see why Soraya raved about the female form so. Perhaps her earlier combativeness did in fact, have an ulterior motive to which she was loathe to admit?

As she'd partially redressed herself, the exorcist grinned at the younger woman, halfway between that smirk and a genuine smile, visible to Velvet as she removed the blindfold. "Well Miss Crowe, I have some other tasks to attend to on this island." she began. "But rest assured, we'll be able to 'play' again. In fact, I think that we'll just become the best of girlfriends."

As she turned to walk away, Velvet, while too exhausted (physically, emotionally, and psychologically) to banter back with her "mommy," she nonetheless, felt that particular fire the exorcist stoked inside of her. Damn that Soraya, damn her, thought Velvet angrily. Damn her domineering nature, damn her smug, self-satisfied expression! Damn that sickly white outfit hugging every curve on her body, damn those voluminous brown tits nearly overflowing from her bra, just begging to be freed and have Velvet bite and suck on them, damn that fat ass of hers and how it swayed when she walked away.... Fuck, when will this stupid drug finally wear off, Velvet raged, rubbing her thighs together for some semblance of release, said frustration not helped in the least by overhearing the exorcist admonish her subordinate.

_"Lady Soraya, I heard screaming! Is everything alright?"_

_"If I needed your help, I would have called for it. Mind your own damn business."_

* * *

Literally having traveled the world in search of countless things and people, both worthless and not, Velvet could not for the life of her insist why Eleanor insisted they travel out to this little spit of an island out in the middle of nowhere, particularly since the plan by Artorius and (even more direly) his master was in its very last stages and it was (this time supposedly anyway) within their power to destroy both. "Much as you like to think otherwise," began the rogue exorcist, keeping a brisk pace as she led the party through the village. "there's no guarantee we'll come back from this."

Velvet raised an eyebrow. "Your point?" she deadpanned. "We don't NEED to come back from this; only destroy Innominat."

"I just need to thank someone for all she's done for me; she was like the older sister I never had."

"Come on, Velvet, whats the harm?" Rokurou inquired. "We're already here, so what's the point in giving her a hard time?"

"Besides, it's never good to go into a fight preoccupied, especially one important as this one." reminded Eizen. "If it will put Eleanor's mind at ease, it's worthwhile."

 

The group ascending the hill at the village's rear to come across the rather considerable (for the location anyway) manor at its summit, Eleanor daintily rapped on the front door, answered by a tall, stocky, dark-haired man with more than a passing resemblance to the members of the Rangetsu family she'd encountered holding a fussing young girl of little more than a year and-a-half old. "Er, may I help you?" he inquired, apparently not entirely comfortable in the local parlance. Given her noticeably-darker skin, it took Velvet a second look for it to register than the girl was actually his daughter.

"Good day, sir." said Eleanor dutifully. "Is Lady Soraya in?"

The man's face lit up. "Of course! You must mean my wife. Come in, come in!"

Reflexively, Velvet winced embarrassedly at the name's mention, but ultimately remained cool. While not a common name, it was not out of the question that it was a different Soraya, but given Eleanor's past, it should not have been especially surprising to Velvet, her heart skipping a beat at the woman greeting them in their dining room, a sleeping young boy cradled in her arms; while having gained a noticeable-yet-not-especially-significant amount of weight and allowing her oily black hair to fall naturally at her temples, her casual garb could not hide the fact that this Soraya was the very same exorcist which had given her some...conflicting feelings, to say the very least. Indeed, the only things keeping Velvet from attacking her right then and there were the presence of Eleanor and the boy, obviously her son, in her arms.

"Praetor," she said with a smile to Eleanor, the man pecking her on the cheek. "I trust you've been well? I see you've met my Kaneshiro."

"Actually, that title's not really appropriate for me." Eleanor prefaced. "Because you see-"

 

While supposedly never having encountered each other, Rokurou, Eizen, and Soraya's husband Kaneshiro were shortly bantering as if they were old friends as Eleanor explained their reasoning and purpose in fighting the Abbey. "Hmm, so you really are going to fight Sir Artorius to the death?" she asked mournfully, taking a seat in one of the soft, luxurious chairs. "That's probably just as well; you're doing him a kindness, more than anything."

"What do you mean by that?" replied Eleanor, at which her brunette companion rolled her eyes.

"Just as some background, he was actually a dear friend of my late parents, not unlike a kindly uncle. Over the past several years, that light and lust for life my parents and I knew just...vanished somehow. By the time I left the Abbey, it was as if his spirit had died completely- like he was just...existing instead of living."

Excusing herself momentarily, the exorcist returned shortly, apparently having set her son down for a proper nap, giving her some time to reflect as well. Velvet however, did not let her very particular brand of tactlessness fail to intrude upon the situation. "So what exactly causes a high-strung, stuck-up bitch like you to give up a cushy, powerful position like yours?" she inquired harshly, still keen on not showing the woman any more weakness. "Besides, that guy seems a bit too scruffy for someone like you to give herself to, let alone have his kids."

Eleanor nudging Velvet disapprovingly, the older woman shut her eyes briefly in wistful contemplation. "When you know, you just know. That's all there is to it." Soraya remarked. "Whether you're a Praetor or a traveling mercenary. And to answer your question, as time went on, the Shepherd and I started taking very different lessons from our experiences in life. He never talked about his personal life, so I don't know exactly what kind of pain he's been through, but I know damned well I'd sooner take that pain as proof I'm alive than just exist as a lifeless being."

With these words, Velvet was unsure whether her annoyance with the older woman was due to their already-clashing personalities, some residual sexual attraction, a grudging respect for her, or a combination of these. "Of course, the absolute last straw was the little girl and her mother." said Soraya bitterly. "That was when I was made sure of one thing; nothing could have justified what he- what we were doing."

At the mention of Kamoana, the girl-turned-therion she had helped to orphan, Eleanor shut her eyes in contemplation. "That must have been brutal on you." she remarked sympathetically. "And Sir- Artorius just let you go?"

"It was more out of respect to my parents than any real need for me around, so yes."

Velvet however, saw fit to keep up the front even more strongly. "Huh, so you were the smart one in your group, after all." she scoffed. "Had you stayed, I would have killed you just as easily as I did Oscar and that Teresa bitch."

Her expression turning even more downcast, Soraya's eyes nonetheless retained some hopefulness. "Did they...at least have each other when you did it?"

"Yes. Yes, they did." Eleanor answered.

The older woman managed a tired smile. "That's good."

 

She was loathe to admit herself what had happened between them, but never, ever would Velvet admit the gritty, mortifying details of the "relationship" she'd had with the exorcist to her companions. The men and (especially) the loquacious witch would never let her hear the end of it, the feared Lord of Calamity getting her start as some smug, librarian-looking lady exorcist's bitch, to be quite frank, and loving damn near every second of it.

With this in mind, was the visit wore on, Velvet became more and more agitated. Probably due to Velvet becoming somewhat convinced Soraya was spending a decent bit of time shamelessly eyefucking her, particularly upon the mention of any maternal terminology (especially uncomfortable when the two former exorcists conversed, particularly the older one's use of the word "mommy") and the infrequent, but still-noticeable asides where Soraya would start chattering away with her husband in some language she didn't recognize, almost certain that she was being discussed and not in terms of which she would approve. While Eleanor was reasonably insistent upon indulging the couple's hospitality a bit further, at least until the children woke from their nap, after Rokurou's increasing tipsiness prompted him to semi-seriously challenge Kaneshiro to a duel, Velvet insisted that they depart for their final battle, however unable to shake Soraya, insisting she escort them back to the pier.

Keeping a brisk, almost-tense pace as Soraya (infuriatingly enough) continued to ingratiate herself ( _"I still say Hume would be perfect for that one."_ Soraya remarked to the witch, much to Velvet's embarrassment) with her companions, Eleanor in particular. _Why don't you just eat her out already and be done with it,_ she thought harshly, unsure whether she was more irritated by Soraya or that her thoughts turned in such a direction by default.

Nonetheless, as she trailed behind the party returning to the Van Eltia, Soraya did in fact, manage to catch up to Velvet. "I really am sorry for what we put you through, sweetie." the exorcist half-fibbed, stroking her ear affectionately. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Stop touching me and I'll think about it." Velvet said coldly, having narrowly avoided the obvious Freudian slip. True, during her captivity, she could have killed the exorcist literally a thousand times had she felt like it. _But you didn't_ , she kept reminding herself, more or less resigned to what that said about her by this point in her life. It still irritated her, of course, but a lot of things irritated Velvet Crowe, that did not mean she'd destroy them.

 

Their vessel departing for their last battle to determine the world's fate, Soraya bade the party farewell and good luck with a vigorous wave of her right hand, even Velvet returning it after a few seconds of silent prompting. This lasted all of three seconds before Soraya, wearing that same smug smirk and very distinctly directed at Velvet, abruptly changed her gesture to an exceptionally explicit one involving her tongue, middle and index fingers. Whether this was a taunt about the younger brunette's own particular skill set or an offer however, was known to Soraya and Soraya alone.

"THAT FUCKING BITCH!" shrieked Velvet, rushing over to the ship's bow. "TURN THIS SHIP AROUND! TURN THE FUCKING SHIP AROUND!"

"Woah, Velvet, what's the matter?!" exclaimed Rokurou, physically stopping Velvet from literally jumping overboard and swimming to shore.

"We can't, you said it yourself," reminded Eizen. "we've done too much dawdling already and Innominat isn't stopping himself."

 

Meanwhile, perhaps the party member with the least to say during this ordeal would probably provide the most memorable incident; their navigator.

"What does this mean?" Laphicet inquired innocently, mimicking Soraya's pantomiming to the shock, horror, and in one case, amusement of the party. "That Soraya lady was doing it at Velvet."

"Well, you see, young Phi," began Magilou, her expression one of utter twisted glee. "When two ladies love each other very much, or in the case of our anti-heroine and the lovely Soraya, hate each other very much-"

The witch was shortly cut off by Eleanor cupping her hand over her mouth, literally dragging her away from the lad and out of earshot.

Rokurou, having calmed Velvet down somewhat, grinned awkwardly. "Hooooo, boy," he said. "I think you'd better take this one, Eizen."

"Wait, what?" inquired the pirate. "Why me?!"

**Author's Note:**

> ......so, yeah. No need to tell me in the comments about what a garbage human being I am. I assure you, I am well-aware.  
>  But no, I am not in fact, this much of a sadistic bitch in my actual life. In fact, I'm an absolute sweetheart until you threaten me/my loved ones, but that's another topic for another discussion. But the raving about heavily-lidded, pale-skinned brunettes is entirely in character. Look at how much Lana Parilla or (to a lesser extent) Isabelle Fuhrman you find in my tumblr likes if you don't believe me. And the getting off on trolling Velvet is a half-truth; what kind of irresponsible degenerate do you take me for? I'm not...nineteen anymore, you know.


End file.
